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Sports
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Written by Gene Morris
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Wednesday, 28 July 2010 08:00 |
PITTSBURG, Kan. — Cale Karigan, a 2010 Paola High School graduate, will get a chance to see his new home Saturday as he walks onto the field at Carney Smith Stadium for the 37th annual Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star football game.
Karigan, who played offensive and defensive line for Paola, was selected to represent the Panthers on the East Squad in the senior all-star football game.
It will be a familiar place for Karigan, who signed a letter of intent to play football at Pittsburg State. He also follows in the footsteps of his cousin, Jordan Karr, and uncle, Scott Karr, who played football for the Gorillas.
Karigan was in St. Louis on Saturday, as the East and West teams visited the St. Louis unit of Shriners Hospitals and visited with patients.
Less than 24 hours after reporting to their team camps in Emporia and Salina, a group of 135 players, coaches, managers, trainers and Shriners left Union Station at 7:30 Saturday morning for the five-hour Amtrack train ride to St. Louis to visit with the children the Shrine Bowl benefits.
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Sports
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Written by Gene Morris
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Wednesday, 28 July 2010 08:00 |
Youth football league sign-ups set for Saturday
It is not too late to sign up youngsters for Paola Youth Tackle Football.
The last two sign-ups are Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Heritage Park in Olathe.
Paola Youth Tackle Football has teams for second- through sixth-grade. Teams participate in the Football and Cheerleading Club of Johnson County.
Golf tourney to benefit PHS athletes
The Paola High School athletic department will hold a fundraising golf tournament in August.
The tournament, which the athletic department plans to make an annual event, is scheduled for Aug. 14 at the Paola Country Club.
The registration deadline for the tournament is Aug. 3. and there is a fee of $200 per four-person scramble. An 8 a.m. shotgun start opens the event. There is a 20-team limit. The fee includes cart, green fee, lunch and hole prizes.
A raffle will be held for prizes and mulligans.
Prizes and contests will be awarded for the top two golfers in each flight, longest putt, longest drive and closest to the pin. A $10,000 prize will be awarded for a hole in one on No. 7.
This year’s fundraising event will benefit the Paola High School wrestling team. Proceeds will help offset competition travel expenses and uniforms.
For more information, or to register for the event, contact Paola wrestling coach Russ Hermreck at (913) 226-8945. |
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Sports
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Written by Gene Morris
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Wednesday, 28 July 2010 08:00 |
Faced with the end of its season after losing in the first round of the American Legion AA Zone Tournament to rival Osawatomie, the Paola American Legion team won three straight games to reach the semifinals. 
Matt Haefele got things rolling in the right direction Thursday, flirting with a perfect game in a no-hit shutout 8-0 victory against Linn County.
He had another big day Friday night, clubbing a three-run walk-off home run in a 13-2 victory against Fort Scott. Haefele’s homer was Paola’s second of the inning, following a blast by Seth Kern as Paola ended the game by run-rule in five innings.
“I was thinking about it the whole game,” Haefele said. “I wasn’t thinking about the no-hitter, I was thinking about the perfect game.”
He had the perfect game intact with two outs in the fifth inning, but lost it on a base on balls. He retired the next batter to keep the no-hitter intact.
Haefele then ended the game against Fort Scott with his three-run shot over the fence in left. Kern hit one earlier over the fence in right.
When he reached the plate, Haefele’s teammates mobbed him with high-fives.
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Sports
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Written by Gene Morris
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Wednesday, 28 July 2010 08:00 |
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Paul Brack could not stop grinning as he lived out a dream job as a Kansas City Royals grounds crew assistant. 
Brack, a long time former Paola High School teacher and Panther baseball coach, was presented with the opportunity to join the grounds crew with his son Alex as a birthday gift from his wife, Karen, who won the item at a Royals charity auction.
Paul has worked the field for the Paola Panthers and American Legion team for years at Russell Field.
He got a chance to show off those skills with the Royals grounds crew, assisting with watering of the field at Kauffman Stadium before the game, changing the bases during the third inning and working on home plate following the game.
“They were all really nice to us,” Paul said. “It was a lot of fun being out there and working on the field. It was the best birthday present I ever had.”
Paul and Alex hung out in the dugout with Royals grounds crew chief Trevor Vance. Following batting practice, they were on the field with the grounds crew getting it ready for the Kansas City Royals game against the Toronto Blue Jays on July 19.
After their pregame work, Paul and Alex spent three innings visiting in the outfield bullpen with the likes of relief pitcher Kyle Farnsworth and the Kansas City Royals staff.
“I got to visiting with Trevor and how he got started, and he told me how George Toma (formers Royals and Chiefs grounds crew chief) took him under his wing and he worked his way up,” Paul said.
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Sports
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Written by Gene Morris
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Wednesday, 28 July 2010 08:00 |
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jonathan Pomatto may have had to pinch himself once or twice, but he knew he had been here before when he ran from the dugout to take the field during the Ban Johnson All-Star Game at Kauffman Stadium — home of the Kansas City Royals.
Looking out over the field is a vision Pomatto has had many times. 
“One of the things you always dream about is playing Major League Baseball,” Pomatto said. “As soon as I walked in the ballpark, I had a huge smile and I don’t think it ever went away.
“To sit in that dugout and be able to play on that field was amazing,” he said. “You are following in the footsteps of so many Royals’ greats and just baseball’s greats who played on that field. People like George Brett, Frank White and Reggie Jackson.”
Pomatto, who plays for the Kansas City Bandits in Ban Johnson baseball, played right field in the game and threw a runner out at home plate in the June 18 game held following the Kansas City Royals game against the Oakland Athletics.
“I didn’t think I had a chance to throw him out,” Pomatto said. “I was just trying to get the ball in fast and make a good throw to my cutoff man. He let it go through and it was on line, and we got him at the plate, so I was pretty excited.”
Pomatto also hit the ball hard at the plate, even though he did not get a base hit.
“I would have liked to get a hit, but I made good solid contact and hit the ball hard. I just hit it right at people.”
Pomatto has 26 hits in 70 at bats with a .371 average, playing in 24 games for the Kansas City Bandits. He has two doubles, three triples and had driven home nine runs.
Ban Johnson baseball was started in 1927 as a summer league for college players in the Kansas City area. Kansas City has hosted the Ban Johnson All-Star game since 1969 when it was held at Municipal Stadium. Gold-glove second baseman White, David Cone, Rick Sutcliffe and David Segui played Ban Johnson baseball.
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